Displaced and Reassigned Teachers in Solidarity (DARTS)

CTU President Elect, Karen Lewis, managed to arrange her busy schedule to attend DARTS meeting on Wednesday, June 23.

This was a very important visit to all attendees who were able to ask questions, obtain answers and be heard! Members shared their personal issues, concerns and were delighted that the President is cognizant of and passionate about what happens to CTU members. President Lewis said, "We will get through this". Yes, we can keep hope alive and she is asking us to work and fight with the union. Specifically, it will take all of us and I am asking you to tell everyone, including those who are retired to join the union, $24 per year. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and we need retirees to join in this fight against CPS and for our pension. The vacation is over; we can only win by banding together to fortify the union, to make it stronger and impenetrable!If it’s worth having then it is worth fighting for.The attacks on our union members must stop!If you have a problem that you want her to know about, email it to me and I will forward it to her.Per President Elect Lewis, she will read your letter and work with you to take care of the problem.Grievances will be filed for:·Members, who signed a waiver, did not allow CPS to assist you in finding a job.

·Members who did not receive an opportunity to interview, 30 days when placed in the reassignment pool, after the March 16, 2010 arbitration.

·High school and elementary teachers not allowed to work during Spring and Summer break at Track E schools.

·Subjective and bias treatment.Some teachers received more than one job offer from Izadore Glover while others only received one job offer.If you obtained several offers from Mr. Glover, we need to hear from you.Despite a notarized statement from one member, Colleen Dykas says that she does not believe this happened and will not take the matter to arbitration.Those who would like to be apart of these grievances should be present at the next meeting.Please be proactive and let your colleagues know what we are doing.I will submit the grievances to the union.We are hopeful that some of these matters can be resolved.It is my understanding that when you update your information for CPS that you are also required to answer four questions.If you miss one question, you will not be able to work for CPS.Of course this is not what they say but as you read their statements you realize that you will be held accountable and that the outcome will affect you employment.So, check the site and do not wait until the last minute.

Despite our phone conversation on Thursday, June 18, 2010, please be advised that we are very uneasy concerning the lack of progress in meeting the arbitrator’s deadline.

While we are in receipt of a letter informing us how to retain our medical insurance for the next two months (July and August, 2010). Reassigned teachers are extremely concerned that we have not received an Interim position, 30 days to interview and more importantly that we will lose our rights because of the impending deadline June 23, 2010.

The consensus is that the Chicago Teachers Union is our Collective Bargaining Agent and whatever actions or lack of actions that are taken in our behalf will adversely affect our careers.

I have received numerous phone calls and emails from teachers requesting that I file a lawsuit on our behalf concerning the Appendix H grievance, specifically, the arbitrators decision. On June 23, 2010, we are holding an emergency meeting to determine how to proceed.

If you have additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely

Antoinette E. Barnes

Hi Antoinette: I want you to know that I am working on implementing this award every day. We are going to have to go back to arbitration in front of Arbitrator Meyers in order to resolve numerous disputes over who is entitled to a placement and various other issues. I have notified Arbitrator Meyers of this fact. As for the idea that you can file a lawsuit, you cannot. The only available remedies are returning to arbitration and filing an unfair labor practice charge which we are doing. I know things are tough and I am sorry but we are working on it. Jennifer

Dear Chicago Public Schools Applicant:

Thank you for your continued interest in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and in potential employment opportunities with us. In an effort to create a more comprehensive view of each applicant for a teaching position, the Chicago Public Schools recently added several questions to its online teacher application.

Our records show that you currently have an active application for a teaching position with CPS. If you wish to be considered an active candidate for employment, please complete the updated application as soon as possible. Only fully completed applications will remain in our database. We estimate that the updates we have made will require an additional 45-75 minutes to complete.

Due to the expected volume of applicants this year, applications received after June 30, 2010, will not be considered for employment until after July 17, 2010. Once completed, your application will be kept on file through November 15, 2010. After that date, applicants who have not found a teaching position must re-apply.

If you are a current CPS employee or do not wish to be considered an active candidate, no action is required.

Thank you again for your interest in the Chicago Public Schools. We look forward to receiving your updated application. For questions or more information, please contact the Office of Human Capital at (773) 553-1045.

Office of Human CapitalChicago Public Schools (CPS)

Spread the word, any and all teachers who signed a waiver, especially those of you who were coerced by Izadore Glover to do so, or did not understand, please contact me. There is a group of teachers prepared to sue over this matter and the attorney is in place. Time is of the essence and per the attorney, a group has a better chance of winning. Contact me via email for more information.

DARTS Endorses "Coalition for A Strong Democratic Union"

REQUEST TO President Consider Welfare of MEMBERS

DARTSP.O. Box 208519Chicago, IL 60620(773) 488-3076(773) 746-1051

Dear Members, Teachers and PSRPs (Professional School and Related Personnel), of the Chicago Teachers Union,

In 2008, I unexpectedly found myself in the “Teacher Reassignment Pool”.As time passed I met hundreds of tenured, certified, qualified and highly qualified teachers with advanced degrees and other educational credentials. Among the credentials held by these teachers were National Board Certification, MA, MS, and PhD degrees. These teachers also had excellent and superior ratings, yet they had been removed from their classrooms and placed in categories whereby they were filing letters, sitting in the library and acting as security personnel. While we worked in mundane and rudimentary positions for which we were overqualified, non-certified, non-tenured, inexperienced teachers worked in our classrooms. These teachers deserve a chance to pursue their careers, but not at our expense.For many months I waited for the Chicago Teachers Union to take action. During this time, to my horror, I found that PSRPs had no Reassignment Pool and went straight to the unemployment line. I phoned on numerous occasions to see what the Union was doing to help us. One Field Rep. told me to write CTU President Marilyn Stewart a letter and send a copy to him.

I began organizing my colleagues, reassigned and displaced teachers. We began meeting on a regular basis.Members of the Coalition for Stronger Democratic Union (CSDU) had been attending all of our meetings. During this time, CSDU members never discussed the fact that they were a caucus running for the union offices. They listened to us, and spoke with members concerning their issues, offered expert advice and assisted in filing grievances and made monetary contributions. Their actions resulted in some of the Displaced And Reassigned Teachers (DARTS) members getting their jobs back.

After my colleagues and I were “honorably terminated”, “FIRED”, I filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against CPS for age and race discrimination on January 4, 2009. CSDU assisted me in attaining that goal. CSDU has been and continues to help “DARTS” members and others make lemonade from the lemons CPS has given us.

I urge you to elect Linda Porter, the current Treasurer of the CTU, as the next President of the Chicago Teachers Union, and also elect her CSDU team as the next officers:Jack Moran, Vice-President; Lisa Dimberg, Recording Secretary; and Jose Jimenez, Financial Secretary of the Chicago Teachers Union on May 21, 2010.

We need job protection, experience, leadership, and solidarity. CSDU candidates have demonstrated the professionalism that can be respected and expected in articulating the needs and issues of union members. CSDU is the entity needed to move our Union forward. I believe that the support that they have provided to our organization is the kind of support that will be the glue that is required to hold our union together today and into the future. We cannot afford to again place inexperienced individuals in the critical position of negotiating our contract and navigating through the arrogance and disrespect perpetrated upon us by the Chicago Public School system. Just look at all that has occurred since 2000: as a result of both the Lynch and Stewart administrations more than 6000 Teachers and PSRPs have lost their jobs.

Together we can bring job protection back to the union members. Vote CSDU on May 21, 2010 for a legacy of dignity and respect. Let us make lemonade from the lemons we have been forced to digest. Thank CSDU for showing us what experience leadership looks like.

CANCELLATION"Basics of Law on Board Meetings & Practices" scheduled forFebruary 26in Springfield has been cancelled. However, space is still available for this workshop inBellevilleon February 25th. Register here: